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Federal budget cuts could chop Meals on Wheels in Snohomish County

The Meals on Wheels program serves nearly 4,000 people in Snohomish County every year. The program could be cut or reduced by federal budget cuts.

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — As she makes her daily rounds for Meals on Wheels, Bonnie Tanis Peters knows she's delivering more than just food.

Her client, Cliff Porter, lives alone. He compares the weekly visits to "comfort food."

"It's a godsend," Porter said. "How much more comfort do you need than that?.

Run by Homage Senior Services, Meals on Wheels provides nearly 300,000 meals to people across Snohomish County alone.

Everyone in the program is either elderly, disabled, or both.

Peters believes her visits every week are just as nourishing as the food.

"It's peace of mind for people who don't have a lot of support," she said. "For a lot of people, I'm the only face they may see the whole week."

But this lifeline could be cut under President Trump's proposed 2021 budget

Meals on Wheels relies heavily on federal funding from Community Development Block Grants and the Older Americans Act. Those grants are being targeted by the Trump administration. 

"That would be a shame," said Ngaire Hanson, who lost a leg and is in wheel chair. "They have kept me very healthy, strong and on the road to recovery."

The extent of the budget cuts are currently unknown. 

The Meals on Wheels programs helps more than 56,000 Washingtonians. Of those, 3,800 are in Snohomish County, where the number of people 60 and over is expected to double over the next decade. 

Every day in America, 12,000 people turn 60-years-old. Homage nutritionist Leah Hammon says federal funding is already lagging for that exploding population. Nationwide, nearly 9.5 million seniors are threatened by hunger.

Hammon believes keeping people fed is far more cost effective than the alternative.

"We can serve an older adult an entire year's worth of food through the Meals on Wheels program for the cost of one night in the hospital," Hammon said.

Congressman Rick Larsen, who represents Snohomish County, told KING 5: “Congress has the power of the purse and has repeatedly rejected cuts to Community Development Block Grants that help fund community programs like Meals on Wheels. I will continue to advocate for full federal funding for Community Development Block Grants to ensure Meals on Wheels and other programs can continue to serve Washingtonians in need."

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